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Minneapolis Star Tribune: Twins might want Conine, Dmitri

Trade for a hitter is still possible

By La Velle E. Neal III, Star Tribune

With just over a week to go before the July 31 deadline for trades without waivers, the chatter about available hitters is increasing. And scouts from the Mets and Giants were on hand Saturday at the Twins-Angels game.

There are indications that the Twins might have interest in Washington's Dmitri Young, who entered Saturday second in the National League batting race.

A history lesson is required here. The Twins were interested last year in the Nationals' Alfonso Soriano, but Washington GM Jim Bowden wanted Matt Garza and two additional top pitching prospects in return. The Twins were able to modify the deal, but the Nationals surprisingly never traded Soriano, and he joined the Cubs as a free agent this year.

Young, batting .340, would more than fill the Twins' need for a quality hitter.

Tampa Bay infielder Ty Wigginton, who also would be a good fit for the Twins, is now being pursued by the Mets and Yankees, with reports out of New York indicating that the Yankees would give up reliever Scott Proctor to get him.

It's not out of the question that the Twins would try to get a veteran hitter such as Cincinnati's Jeff Conine. The club has tried to sign Conine as a free agent in the past. And the Reds and Twins have made two deals since former Twins assistant GM Wayne Krivsky left to become Cincinnati's general manager.

Twins GM Terry Ryan will remain in the Twin Cities and man the phones before the trade deadline while the club travels to Toronto for a three-game series that begins on Monday.

And from a column in the same publication by Joe Christensen:

Twins scout Larry Corrigan was spotted at the Reds/Marlins game on Thursday. Corrigan is responsible for all of the team’s National League coverage, but at this time of year, it would make sense that he’d be watching potential trade targets.

Full disclosure: Conine is a personal favorite. I covered him with the Orioles in 2002 and 2003, but he’s also a favorite of former Florida Marlins’ teammates Mike Redmond and Luis Castillo. The Twins have had interest in signing Conine in recent offseasons.

Name: Jeff Conine, Reds 1B/OF

Basics: He turned 41 on June 26. Bats R, Throws R. 6-1, 225 lbs. Born in Tacoma, Wash. Played for UCLA and signed with the Royals as a 58th-round pick in 1987.

Stats: Batting .262 with 5 home runs and 26 RBI. A .323 on-base percentage and a .411 slugging percentage. He batted .280 after getting moved from the Orioles to the Phillies last August.

Salary: $2 million. He’ll be a free agent at season’s end. Because only 41 percent of the season remains, a team acquiring Piazza today would owe him $815,000.

Good Twin because: He’s a professional righthanded hitter and he can move around the diamond. The Reds haven’t used him in the outfield because their outfield is stacked. But last year, he played 56 games in left field for the Orioles. Then, after getting moved to Philadelphia, he played 25 games in right field and 12 in left. Conine helped the Marlins win a World Series in 1997. In 2003, Conine was playing for the Orioles, but Florida traded for him again, and he helped them win another World Series.

Available?: Yes. The Reds are 41-56, and while there has been much speculation that they’d move Adam Dunn or Ken Griffey Jr., it’s more likely that they’d move Conine or Kyle Lohse. Yeah, the guess here is the Twins would pass on Lohse.

Probable cost: The Twins could probably get him for an A-ball prospect.

Potential Batgirl nickname (*You know, if she still ran the greatest blog ever): Everyone calls him Niner. But Batgirl could work her magic in the nickname department, possibly playing off the fact Conine is a world-class racquetball player.

Odds this trade happens: 8-to-1. Remember, since Wayne Krivsky left to become the Reds’ GM, Terry Ryan has made three major league trades (four if you count Darnell McDonald) and two have been with Krivsky.

Re: Minneapolis Star Tribune: Twins might want Conine, Dmitri

Whatever happened to the Bowden who jumped the gun with the Denny Neagle to the Yankees for an "attractive" parcel of never-will-be-prospects? After letting the deadline pass last year and not getting anything for Soriano to replenish that franchise, he better make a splash with Young this year, especially with Nick Johnson coming back sometime.

Unfortunately for teams like Washington and Cincinnati, I'm afraid that the era in which big market teams would trade off trade off almost ready, can't miss prospects for high priced rentals has passed. Even the high budget teams are realizing the wriggle room benefit provided young, low salaried talent.

I think the only river boat gambler type manager out there willing to take a chance on a WTF trade is Billy Beane, but his team is pretty far out of it. The likelyhood, as I see it, is that we will see very little in the terms of almost ready talent being traded for the Dunns and Youngs available. Teams will prefer to take their chances on an excess baggage dumps like Piazza or possibly even Jacque Jones.

Re: Minneapolis Star Tribune: Twins might want Conine, Dmitri

Originally Posted by camisadelgolf

I really wouldn't mind him being signed for next year (at about half the price of this year's salary) to platoon with Votto.

That kind of moves will help keep the Reds in last place next year. Conine will have no business starting 50+ games in MLB next year let alone taking starts away from Votto. If the team platoons Votto next year he will have little chance of developing his bat agains lefties.

Re: Minneapolis Star Tribune: Twins might want Conine, Dmitri

Originally Posted by 4256 Hits

That kind of moves will help keep the Reds in last place next year. Conine will have no business starting 50+ games in MLB next year let alone taking starts away from Votto. If the team platoons Votto next year he will have little chance of developing his bat agains lefties.

I would see it more as either Hatteberg or Conine remaining and sharing 1st with Votto this year, not next. I think it makes sense to move Conine and pick up Hatt's option to come off the bench and help with Votto's continued development. I like Hatteberg's presence alot.

Re: Minneapolis Star Tribune: Twins might want Conine, Dmitri

Well that makes sense since it's all Scott Hatteberg's fault they're stinking up the universe. I think we can safely say the stinkin's been a team effort.

that is a nohing but a strawman.

The point was if his intangibles and "veteran presence" doesn't show up in the record then how important can they be?

The Reds have spent too much time focusing on intangibles and not enough on performance. Hatty has been an asset because he has been a decent contributor on the field, not because of any perceived value he may have do to unmeasurable intangibles.

Re: Minneapolis Star Tribune: Twins might want Conine, Dmitri

Originally Posted by flyer85

that is a nohing but a strawman.

The point was if his intangibles and "veteran presence" doesn't show up in the record then how important can they be?

The Reds have spent too much time focusing on intangibles and not enough on performance. Hatty has been an asset because he has been a decent contributor on the field, not because of any perceived value he may have do to unmeasurable intangibles.

It's only a strawman because you presumed I was saying that was his only value. I have consistently said all year that the combination of Conine and Hatteberg was one of the things working on this club; particularly considering that it was a caretaker position waiting on Votto to come to the bigs.

I merely was noting that I like Hatteberg as the backup for Votto. I think there is value to that, not to mention he remains a productive ballplayer (much to the chagrin of some on RZ - that's not directed at you).

Re: Minneapolis Star Tribune: Twins might want Conine, Dmitri

Originally Posted by KronoRed

Hat and Votto are both left handed, not really much of a platoon plan there, keeping Conine makes more sense

This was exactly my thought. I don't think Conine is worth the $2M he's making this year, and if Votto hits anywhere near how he should, Conine won't need to start 50+ games. Still, Conine is a solid hitter and won't lose you games on defense, so I wouldn't mind him being on the Reds for a discount next year.

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